Multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser

ABSTRACT

A spool for carrying a plurality of rolls of surveyor ribbon, which spool has a flange at one end with a carrying handle with a projection that projects radially over the ribbon rolls and has apertures for guiding the free ends of the unwound ribbon. The spool has a removably flange at the other end for holding the rolls of ribbon on the spool and also has resilient detent means for resiliently and frictionally holding the plurality of rolls of ribbon so that ribbon unwinds only when the free end of the ribbon is pulled.

lnventor United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 10/1949 Gieram.........v.....1

[72] Edwin C. Mason 4655 Lamont #304 San Diego. Calif. 855,954

7/1954 Beiderwell..1....,v....v 10/1966 Krueger etal. PrimaryExaminer-George F. Mautz Appl. No Filed Sept. 8, 1969 [45] PatentedJune29,l97l

Assistant Examiner-Milton Gerstein Attorney-Carl R. Brown ABSTRACT: Aspool for carrying a plurality of rolls of surveyor ribbon, which spoolhas a flange at one end with a car ing handle with a projection thatprojects radially over the ribbon rolls and has apertures for g R E S NE P. m D N 0 B B l R m um F V mm mm D 04 5 mm mm C M6 M w uiding thefree ends of the unwound ribbon. The spool has a removably flange at theother [52] US. 242/55.3, 242/7l.8, 242/96 lnt.

end for holding the rolls of ribbon on the spool and also has resilientdetent means for resiliently and frictionall y holding the plurality ofrolls of ribbon so that ribbon unwinds only when the free end of theribbon is pulled.

6 .3 ms 2 44 00 6 9 s l 7 [50] Field of Search...............v....

MULTIROLL SURVEYOR RIBBON DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Surveyorribbon is used by surveyor crews, construction layout men, gradecheckers, flagging engineers and the like, for many purposes. Thesepersons are often required to use ribbons having different colors.Accordingly these personnel must carry several rolls of colored plasticribbon and must pull given lengths of ribbon off the rolls during use.Normally a short length of ribbon is unrolled from the roll and thebroken off for use.

It has been found to be particularly troublesome to carry a plurality oflarge rolls of surveyor ribbon in ones pocket and to quickly and easilypull lengths of the ribbon off the rolls, and to break. off portions ofthe unwound ribbon for use in a quick and efficient manner.

Thus it is advantageous to have a multiroll ribbon dispenser that iseasily carried by such personnel and on which a plurality of differentcolored ribbons are threaded through apertures so that the ribbons arein a position to be selectively dispensed by the user in a simple andefficient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of this invention, a spool hassufficient length to carry a plurality of rolls of surveyor ribbon,which rolls rotate around a fixedly positioned spool between end flangeson resilient and frictional biasing spring detect means projectingradially outward from the spool. The space between the end flanges issufficient to provide rotating space for each of the rolls of ribbonwithout having undue frictional contact therebetween. One of the endflanges has a radially extending portion that hooks over for fittingover the belt ofa user and supporting the ribbon dispenser unit in aposition for easy use. A shielding member is secured at one end to theradially extending portion and projects along the length of the spool ina radially spaced position from the rolls of ribbon. The free end ofeach of the rolls of ribbon are passed through the apertures, which holdthe free ribbon ends in position for easy grasping by the user, whopulls the ribbon through the apertures in an unwinding action from therolls. The ribbon is then broken off as desired in selective lengths foruse. The

projecting shield has an arcuate shape that extends, fenderlike, overthe spool. A first plurality of aligned apertures for passing the freeends of the ribbon therethrough are positioned on one side of the shieldmember and a second plurality of apertures are positioned on the otherside of the member. Each of the sets of apertures allows ribbon to befed in either a front or rear direction of the horizontally positionedribbon dispenser, thus allowing the ribbon dispenser to be used oneither the right or left side of the user. The other end flange of thedispenser is selectively removable to allow free and easy replacement ofthe rolls of ribbon onto the spool.

Substantially all of the structure is made from a suitable plasticmaterial that provides long life and simple and inexpensiveconstruction. The device has a free and easy movement with relativelyfew moving parts and its rugged construction allows long and efficientoperational use by construction-type personnel.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved multiroll ribbon dispenser for dispensing surveyor-type ribbonfrom rolls.

Other objects and many advantages of this invention will become moreapparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and anexamination of the drawings wherein like reference numerals designatelike parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventron.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, asit generally relates to FIG. I and which also illustrates the passing ofthe ribbon through an aperture in the shield member.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in operational use ona user.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the invention has acylindrical spool structure 16 with end flanges 18 and 20. End flange 20has a radially projecting member 22 that is bent over at 26 to provide adownwardly projecting hook portion 24 for fitting over the belt 14 of auser 12. A member 30, having an arcuate shape, is fixed to the member 22and extends longitudinally along the length of the spool 16 and isspaced radially from rolls of ribbon placed on the spool 16. Alignedapertures 32 receive and pass the unwound free ends of the ribbontherethrough as illustrated in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the spool 16 is normally fixed in anysuitable manner to the end flange 20, The other end flange 18 has acylindrical projection 44 that fits into the hollow end of thecylindrical spool 16. It may be understood that the spool, end flanges,hookover portion 24, and member 30 may all be made of a suitableplastic. Plastic resin 38 is placed into the hollow portion of the spool16 and a bolt 40 with a head 42 is embedded therein in alignment alongthe axis of the cylindrical spool 16. The cylindrical portion 44 isthreaded to threadably engage the threaded end 46 of the bolt 40, thusdrawing end flange 18 into pressure contact with the end of the spool16.

Rolls of surveyors ribbon, such as rolls 48 and 50 are slidablypositioned onto the spool 16. A pair of spring detent members 56 and 58,that have a spring 60 positioned therein with an end contact 62resiliently biased outward, contacts the inner surface 51 of thecylindrical members 52 and 54 on which the ribbon is rolled. Each of thespring detents function to provide a resiliently biased, frictionalengagement with the inner surface ofthe ribbon spools, holding theribbon spools in position and providing a sufficient friction resistanceto rotational movement of the rolls of ribbon on the spool 16 toeliminate free spooling of the ribbon. The free ends of each of therolls of ribbon are passed through either the pair of apertures 32 orthe pair of apertures 34. The user may then grasp the free ends 60 ofthe ribbon pulling the ribbon from the unwinding spools and thusbreaking off ends of the plastic ribbon to the desired lengths.

It may be understood that each of the rolls of plastic ribbon normallyhave different colors for different identifications in use. Themultiroll ribbon dispenser may be either hooked over the belt 14 of theuser on the left side, wherein the free ends of the ribbon are passedthrough apertures 32, or the ribbon dispenser may be positioned on theright side of the user 12, wherein the free ends 60 of the rolls ofribbon will be passed through the aligned apertures 34. This facilitatesright-hand or left-hand use of the multiroll ribbon dispenser.

In operation, end flange 18 is threadably removed from the threaded end46 of bolt 40 and rolls of ribbon 48 and 50 are slidably positioned ontothe spool 16 with spacing therebetween as illustrated in FIG. 2, toprevent undue frictional contact between the rolls of ribbon. End flange18 is then secured by coaction with bolt 40 to hold the rolls of ribbonin position on the spool 16. The free ends of the ribbon are passedthrough the apertures 32 or 3 3 and the unit is placed on the belt ofthe user 12. The ribbon is then dispensed in the manner previouslydescribed.

Having described my invention, I now claim:

I. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser comprising,

a spool for carrying a plurality of rolls of ribbon having end flanges,

one of said end flanges having means projecting radially therefrom forcarrying said spool,

a member fixed to said projecting means, which member extendslongitudinally over the rolls of ribbon and is spaced radiallytherefrom,

said member having apertures aligned with each of said rolls of ribbonfor passing the end of the ribbon therethrough,

frictional means on said spool pressing against the inner sur face ofeach of the rolls of ribbon for frictionally retarding rotationalmovement of the rolls of ribbon on said spool,

and means for selectively removing the other of said end flanges toplace rolls of ribbon on said spool.

2. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimed in claim I wherein,

said frictional means comprises a spring detent for each roll of ribbon,which detent has an end projection that con tacts the inner surface ofeach roll of ribbon. 3. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimedin claim 2 wherein,

said end projection of said detent projects radially outward from thesurface of said spool. 4. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser asclaimed in claim 1 wherein,

said member has an arcuate shape forming a shield over the top of thespool, and said member has ribbon receiving apertures adjacent the frontedge of said member and adjacent the rear edge ofsaid member,

5. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

said spool is hollow with one end fixed to said one of said end flanges,a threaded member is secured in said hollow volume of said spool andprojects along the axis ofsaid spool, and said other of said end flangesengages said threaded member. 6. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenseras claimed in claim 5 wherein,

said hollow volume of said spool is circular and is open at the endopposite said one of said end flanges, and said other of said endflanges has an axially projecting cylindrical portion that fits intosaid circular hollow volume.

1. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser comprising, a spool forcarrying a plurality of rolls of ribbon having end flanges, one of saidend flanges having means projecting radially therefrom for carrying saidspool, a member fixed to said projecting means, which member extendslongitudinally over the rolls of ribbon and is spaced radiallytherefrom, said member having apertures aligned with each of said rollsof ribbon for passing the end of the ribbon therethrough, frictionalmeans on said spool pressing against the inner surface of each of therolls of ribbon for frictionally retarding rotational movement of therolls of ribbon on said spool, and means for selectively removing theother of said end flanges to place rolls of ribbon on said spool.
 2. Amultiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein, saidfrictional means comprises a spring detent for each roll of ribbon,which detent has an end projection that contacts the inner surface ofeach roll of ribbon.
 3. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimedin claim 2 wherein, said end projection of said detent projects radiallyoutward from the surface of said spool.
 4. A multiroll surveyor ribbondispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said member has an arcuateshape forming a shield over the top of the spool, and said member hasribbon receiving apertures adjacent the front edge of said member andadjacent the rear edge of said member.
 5. A multiroll surveyor ribbondispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said spool is hollow with oneend fixed to said one of said end flanges, a threaded member is securedin said hollow volume of said spool and projects along the axis of saidspool, and said other of said end flanges engages said threaded member.6. A multiroll surveyor ribbon dispenser as claimed in claim 5 wherein,said hollow volume of said spool is circular and is open at the endopposite said one of said end flanges, and said other of said endflanges has an axially projecting cylindrical portion that fits intosaid circular hollow volume.